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Jan 22, 2026 / 18:30 pm (CNA).
The abortion issue will likely be on the ballot in several states this November.
EWTN News took a look at which states have abortion-related measures in the works or on the ballot.
Four states might vote to create a right to abortion this November. Only one state has a measure to protect life.
Virginian lawmakers add abortion to the ballot
This November, Virginians will consider an amendment to enshrine a fundamental right to abortion in the state constitution. The amendment, if passed, could jeopardize already-existing laws protecting unborn children as well as Virginia’s parental notification law.
The proposed abortion amendment would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”
Virginia lawmakers approved the amendment for a second time earlier this month, guaranteeing that it will be on the ballot. Virginia Catholic bishops promptly condemned the amendment, saying they “will fight” against its passage.
Virginia protects life after 28 weeks of pregnancy, meaning that abortion is legal until the end of the second trimester and after in cases of serious risk to the woman’s health or life.
Nevada looks to confirm abortion amendment
Nevada is close to approving an abortion amendment that would recognize a right to abortion.
The amendment would establish a “fundamental right” to an abortion, “without interference by state or local governments” up to viability, and up to birth for the sake of the health or life of the pregnant mother.
In Nevada, the state constitution can be amended only after two affirmative public votes in consecutive even-year elections. About 64% of Nevadans voted in favor of the amendment in 2024, so a 2026 passage would enshrine the amendment.
Abortion since the 1990s has been legal until the 24th week of pregnancy in Nevada. In addition to reinforcing pro-abortion laws, the new amendment could block other state laws including the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions.
Idaho gathers signatures for abortion ballot measure
In Idaho, a measure to create a right to abortion may appear on the November ballot.
Campaigners are gathering signatures for the measure to legalize abortion until viability, when the baby can survive outside of the womb.
The measure guarantees “a right to make and carry out reproductive decisions, including a right to abortion up to fetus viability.”
Idaho law protects unborn children at all stages of pregnancy, with exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.
Oregon measure could reinforce pro-abortion laws
A measure to affirm a right to abortion in Oregon may be on the November ballot.
The measure states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged … on account of sex.”
If passed, it would also affirm a right to contraception, in vitro fertilization, medical “gender transition,” and same-sex marriage. The measure would repeal a vestigial code in the constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
Oregon does not protect life at any stage of pregnancy, and the state funds abortion.
Potential ballot measure could repeal Missouri abortion amendment
In November, Missourians will have the opportunity to repeal a 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state constitution.
If passed, the measure would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion and allow for laws to regulate abortion. It would also codify parental consent for minors seeking abortion and prohibit gender transition procedures for minors.
The amendment would not protect unborn children younger than 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest.
Abortion laws have been in flux in Missouri as the 2024 amendment was enforced amid legal challenges.
Blocked from the ballot: Montana’s push for personhood
A Montana measure defining unborn children as persons is not on the ballot this year, despite efforts to pass it.
Despite Montana voters’ move to approve a right to abortion in 2024, lawmakers came close to approving the subsequent pro-life measure, which would have stipulated that the word “person” applies “to all members of mankind at any stage of development, beginning at the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.”
The amendment would have required that “no cause of action may arise as a consequence of harm caused to an unborn baby by an unintentional act of its mother.”
The measure narrowly failed to pass in both the Montana House of Representatives and the state Senate in early 2025, receiving just less than the two-thirds majority needed for a measure to be added to the Montana ballot.
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